Mom's Beef Chili

Mom's Beef Chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Servings: 15+

Ingredients

3 lbs Ground Chuck

1 – 28 oz can Tomato Puree

2 – 28 oz cans of Crushed Tomato’s

12 oz can Tomato Juice (Campbell’s)

15 oz can Tomato Sauce

2 large onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

2 tsp salt

1 Tablespoon paprika

2 tsp oregano

¼ cup cider vinegar

Tabasco, a couple of shakes

Fresh ground pepper

Directions 

Over medium heat, brown ground chuck and diced onions together in large dutch oven, when onions are translucent toss in the garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Drain fat from pan.  Add all spices / herbs to meat mixture and mix to coat.

Add all liquid ingredients and mix well.  Simmer, partially covered on low for about 1 ½ to 2 hours until thick, stirring occasionally.  If not thick enough for you – take of the cover and let it simmer longer.

Aunt Cindy's Beef BBQ

Oh yum. This was so delish. My aunt always made this one of the nights before Thanksgiving when we traveled to her house. It definitely brings back fond memories. It does take a little time, but I think it could be converted into a slow cooker meal. In fact, I think next time I make it I will try it in the slow cooker. We serve it on buns with some mac and cheese. My mom likes it with a dollop of coleslaw on top. What can I say? She's a yankee! 

Aunt Cindy's Beef BBQ

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb beef brisket

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire

2 TBS yellow mustard

2 tsp instant coffee granules

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp Tabasco

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325.

Wrap the beef brisket in heavy foil, place in a 9x13 dish and bake for one hour. Remove the brisket from the oven and cut off the fat layer. 

Combine the other ingredients, heat to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

Place the brisket back in the pan, top with sauce and cover pan with foil. Bake for another 2 hours. Shred meat with two forks. 

Enjoy!

Steak Diane

The first thing I said after popping a bite in my mouth was "Oh my gosh, this is as good as I remember!" It really is divine. The flavors in the sauce are so perfect. I could have probably licked my plate clean, but I seriously had to restrain myself. Even my picky hubby and my 3 year old niece liked it! As my picture of dinner looked wholly unappetizing as it was taken with my Blackberry since the camera battery was dead, I leave you with a picture of Julia.

Steak Diane

adapted from Julia Child & Company

Ingredients

3 strip steaks

soy sauce

olive oil

black pepper

5 TBS butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/4 minced parsley

1 cup beef stock

1 TBS dijon mustard

1 TBS cornstarch

4 TBS Brandy or Cognac

1 1/2 TBS Worcestershire

Directions
Trim out the strip steak and pound it out until it's 1/4-1/2 inches thick. Drizzle with soy sauce and olive oil and rub it in. Sprinkle with pepper. "Roll them up like a rug" says Julia. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. I stuck mine in the fridge for 3 hours.

You can mix the beef stock, dijon and cornstarch together and let it sit on the counter to save time later. I did this about 45 minutes before I was ready to start cooking. I also mixed together the brandy and Worcestershire at this time and set it aside.

Shallots and parsley can be done ahead of time, just remember to cover them with a damp paper towel.

Over medium high heat, melt 1 TBS butter with 1 TBS olive oil. Saute the steaks just to brown.

In the same pan, add 4 TBS butter and melt. Toss in shallots and parsley. Cook for a minute or so, until slightly translucent. Stir in stock mixture then brandy and Worcestershire.

Whisk and turn down heat to medium-low. Put steaks back in, cover and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Twice-Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes

These were so yummy! These are perfect if you want twice-baked potatoes, but don't want to mess around with trying to keep the skin intact and stuffing the shell. I know that I personally rip the skin every single time. Now if you are a pro (like my mom) you can just follow this recipe and just put the filling back into the shells.

Twice Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes

adapted from my mom

Ingredients

6 baking potatoes - at least 4 inches long

3/4 - 1 stick of butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper (I am estimating this - just eyeball this and add more if need be)

6 slices bacon, chopped or real bacon bits

Chives or green onions (optional)

Directions

Bake the potatoes at 450 for one hour. Remove them from the oven and pierce with a knife in the middle. Let them sit 10-15 minutes. Cut them in half and let them sit until you can handle them. I normally put on an oven mitt at this point so I don't have to wait. Scoop out the innards into a bowl. Use a knife to cut through the chunks. It should look fluffy like a baked potato.

Pour in butter, toss with a fork, add dollops of sour cream and toss with a fork. Stir in bacon, 1 cup cheese, salt, pepper and chives or green onions. Put mixture in a greased 2 qt casserole dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Cincinnati (Skyline) Chili

Okay so I will say that this recipe comes from my mom and I know that it works. I tried to half it and it didn't work so much. I got a little distracted when I was putting in the chili powder so I'm not sure if I added 1/2 TBS too much or what. 

Now the great debate with Cincinnati-style chili recipes is chocolate or no chocolate. My mom says no chocolate, but if you taste it and feel like it's missing something then you could probably add 1/2 oz of unsweetened chocolate, something like Baker's. One square is an ounce and it's scored so that you can easily divide it to get 1/2 an ounce.

For those unfamiliar with Cincinnati-style chili, it's more like a sauce then actual "chili". I do not advise you to put it in a bowl to eat like other chili recipes! It's traditionally served over spaghetti with cheese (3-way) or over hot dogs on a bun with cheese (Cheese Coney). You can also add kidney beans, onions or both - 4-way for just one or 5-way if you add both.

Cincinnati (Skyline) Chili

Ingredients

2 lb ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 TBS vinegar

8 oz tomato sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

4 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TBS Worcestershire

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp paprika

5 bay leaves

1 qt water

Directions

Put the water into a pot and add the meat breaking it up until it's fine. I just did it with my hands. Simmer until the meat is done - by the time it starts simmering it will most likely be done - about 5-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Serve over spaghetti or hot dogs with finely shredded mild cheddar cheese.

This can easily be frozen for future meals!

Enjoy!

Friday Favorites - Easy Appetizer

So my mom started making this appetizer a couple of years ago. It's really just a snack that she keeps in the fridge for the afternoon before dinner or the late night "snack attacks" of my sister and her friends. It's so easy that I am almost ashamed to put it on here, but it's so delicious I can't resist!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

from my Mom

Ingredients

1 jar of Trader Joe's Red Pepper Spread

11 oz log of goat cheese (my mom like the one above so that's what I bought too)

Directions

Let the goat cheese sit out for about 10-15 minutes or until soft. It's a soft cheese anyway, but you want to be able to mix it well. When it's ready, put it into a serving bowl or tupperware container and dump in the jar of red pepper spread. Mix together thoroughly. Serve with pita chips or crackers. 

Friday Favorites

I thought that I would start a new feature - Friday Favorites! I will be posting my favorites whether it's kitchen tools, products, recipes, etc. 

Today I am leaving you with a recipe that is a childhood favorite. My mom made it often in the summer and it's so delicious! I even have a funny story about it - so my mom was out of town for work. Dad decided he was going to make it. I think we helped with the vegetable cutting and all that. Now you need to understand, when my mom makes something up she doesn't write it down so my dad was trying to make this from memory, bless his heart. Well he got a little crazy with the garlic and put waaaaayyyyy too much in. There was so much garlic in it that it was spicy! We told him that it was delicious and tried to eat it. It was seriously garlicky! So I have fond memories of this and I hope you love it, too!

PS - It doesn't really have a name so I just call it Summer Squash and Corn Succotash.

Summer Squash and Corn Succotash

from my Mom

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow squash

Half of a medium yellow or Vidalia onion

1/2 - can of corn or 1 ear fresh corn

1 tsp minced garlic

Salt and pepper

1/2 TBS olive oil 

1/2 to 1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Cut the squash and zucchini into halves or quarters, depending on the size of your veggie. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Thinly slice the onion into strips. Heat your EVOO in a saute pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the squash, zucchini and onion. Cook until translucent. Add your garlic and corn. Saute for another 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Turn heat to low and add the cheese. Let it melt and stir it into the veggie mix. 

Printable Recipe